Review: Buzz Under the Stars

Alabama Shakes, shaking it when the weather was still friendly. Photo by Keith  Myers/The Star

The sky played a large role in Wednesday night’s Buzz Under the Stars show at Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park.

Not long after the band Alabama Shakes had finished a robust set and while stage crews were getting things ready for Garbage, organizers shut down the festival to wait out an on-coming storm. The delay would last more than two and a half hours. Instead of the scheduled time of 7:15 p.m., Garbage took the stage after 9:45 p.m. They would play before the largest crowd of the night -- several thousand. By the time Silversun Pickups closed the show before one of the smallest crowds of the night, it was nearly 1:15 a.m. -- more than eight hours after the five-band show began.

Alabama Shakes followed the opening set by Electric Guest. The Shakes are a four-piece vintage rock-soul-blues band led by fiery lead singer Brittany Howard, a 23-year-old who sounds of another era. Their music evokes an array of influences and homages, from Otis Redding and Janis Joplin to the Stones, Led Zeppelin and bits of the Stax Record catalog. Faint resemblances to the very early Kings of Leon also emerge now and then. Thursday’s set list included “Goin’ to the Party,” “Hold On,” “Heavy Chevy” and “I Ain’t the Same.”

Garbage spent more time setting up than it did performing. The band’s dynamo lead singer, Shirley Manson, thanked fans copiously for waiting out the wind and rain, thanked everyone for the double-rainbow it all produced, then rewarded them a six-song, 30 minute set, which was interrupted when a fight broke out up front and she stopped a song to try to restore some calm. They sang a new one, “Control,” a couple of favorites, such as “Push It,” “Stupid Girl” and “Special.” And they closed with “Only Happy When It Rains,” which prompted an outburst of joy but felt like salt in the wound after such a criminally brief set from a band that hasn’t played these parts (as far as I can remember) since opening for U2 at Kemper Arena in November 2001

They gave way to Fun, who has now played here three times since April. Its set was pretty much like the other two: filled with lots of effervescence and glee. Its 10-song, 45-minute set included glammy show-tune pop anthems like “One Foot,” “Why Am I The One?,” “At Least I’m Not as Sad (As I Used to Be),” “Carry On” and “We Are Young,” the song that launched them out of obscurity. Theatrical lead man Nate Reuss is the perfect showboat for his band’s bright and flashy songs. A good chunk of the crowd left after Fun’s set, which also could have been attributed to the late start. By the time its set was over, it was 20 minutes before midnight

The Silversun Pickups brought the night to a close, reviving the guitar -rock sounds of the ‘90s. Comparisons to Smashing Pumpkins are unavoidable, but on some of its latest material, the band does give its take on that brand of heavy rock a few twists, mostly via manic drummer Chris Guanlao and keyboardist Joe Lester. They opened a 10-song, 65-minute set with “Skin Graph,” one of four songs played from the “Neck of the Woods” album, released in May. They played a few off the “Swoon” album, including “The Royal We” “Panic Switch” and “Catch and Release.’ And they closed with their biggest hit, “Lazy Eye,” from their first album, “Carnavas,” now six years old. By the time they started that, the crowd size had dwindled into the hundreds, but they were diehards who didn’t let the weather and sleep-deprivation keep them from their hearing a favorite song one more time.

A word about the venue: The sound was good, the sight lines were good and the grounds in general make for a fine setting for live concerts. The stage faced north, towards the Missouri River, between the Paseo and Heart of America bridges. The next show at this park is Sept. 14: Gotye with Chairlift and Zammuto.

|Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[Geordan]

Only six songs from Garbage?? That's a shame.....

[Steve J]

Ever think the Buzz is cursed? Put that show on Thursday of Friday this week and the weather would be perfect, like the EASTON CORBIN and PAUL OAKENFOLD shows at the P&L.

[gsp]

I hope so, then they'll stop co-opting bands into shitty mini-fests.

[onthemark]

As Tim Finn pointed out in his article in the Preview section, the operational method of today's live music world is putting together multiple groups in mini-fests. Only way to draw a crowd large enough to make it worthwhile.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/08/3749266/gray-hair-bands.html

[gsp]

Duly noted OTM, though I see quite a broad range of acts touring seemingly successfully solo, whether it's record bar, knux, Grinders or shows like Cake at the Uptown.

[GODZILLA]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAdTbE9LAtY

[onthemark]

Good point gsp. I've had the same experience although there is generally an opening band. I do not know how much tickets for this event cost, and I have no idea what it cost to bring in these 4 bands. As the review noted, there were several thousand in attendance so you would hope that everyone made some money on the deal.

[Simon]

Last time Garbage played here was 2002 at the Uptown. Hated the shortened set, but they still rocked it. Hope they come back for a full performance soon.

[gsp]

Yep, no problem with an opener. I don't want my favorite bands coming through and playing 45 minute sets. See DEVO.

[Gill]

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[KC Jones]

Yep. DEVO for 45 minutes is a crime. I can't stand festival-length sets. I guess they are good for the ADD generation. I got spoiled by some of my favorite bands playing 3-4 hour shows over the years.

[joe]

So who are the 3-4 hour bands?? Now and then?

I know of Bruce, the Dead, Phish??, after that, I can't say I've seen anyone else play much longer than 2.5 to 3 hours.

Just curious if anyone new today is going that long...

[gsp]

I don't want me favorite bands playing that long either, 2 hours is about the sweet spot.

[Kevin Durant Shoes]

Own young boy crazy, despise Kunlun, laughing Luliang; wear the sword for several years, this will test the edge. Pretentious is not desirable, but should not sell ourselves short.

[wadkc]

BUT Devo DID play 38 songs in that 45 minutes. Jocko Homo lives.

[portafoglio louis vuitton]

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[supra pas cher]

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[lilskins]

Best show of the year so far for me was CHRIS ROBINSON {BLACK CROWES] at Knuckleheads. They played two sets,with a short intermission. Best BANG four your buck. Great new music with only one cover song "Never Been To Spain" that they treated very well. 20 bucks for 3 hours of bliss or you could of spent $600.00 to fill the egos at the Allstar Game. Just Saying. Although,I guess it did bring a lot of money to the area. That's what its all about, RIGHT!

[pellboy]

Agreed, lilskins, that Chris Robinson show was great and most definitely one of the great value shows of the year.

In a related note, it's not always about the longevity of a show as I saw The Blasters lineup play what was probably only a 75-minute set at the Regency Ballroom @ the old Glenwood Theatre complex and that show ranks in my top 10 all-time! Quite frankly, I'm not sure my senses could have withstood another MINUTE of that high-energy performance.

[handtasche longchamp frauen]

g bookmark, salamat

Mo tiyak na may ilang mga bagay na opinyon at mga pagtingin. Ang iyong blog ay nagbibigay ng isang sariwang hitsura sa ang subject.Have na naisip mo tungkol sa pagpapasok ng ilang panlipunan pindutan pagbu-bookmark sa mga blog na ito. Hindi bababa sa para sa google.I talagang pinasasalamatan ang mga artikulo sa iyong site. Ikaw ay paggawa ng multa trabaho! Salamat ng maraming.

[lilskins]

At pellboy, agree it's not the length of a show but what they bring to the table. Saw Greg Allman at the old Glenwood. Bryan Adams at One Block West was also a fun one. Love the smaller venues. Saw alot of great bands there in their infancy. U2 for a $1.02 at the Uptown was a good bang for the buck also. Rock On!

[Hoddtaley]

Are we not men?